Ask the FIBER TARTS!

It’s Wednesday and Ask the FIBER TARTS! is at your service. Today’s question is a good one, so let’s get started.

Clueless in Canandaigua wants to know: I don’t knit or crochet but have friends who do and when it comes to special occasions, I have no idea what to get them as gifts. Got any ideas for me?

Easy peasy, Clueless! There are so many things I can recommend, but I’ll just narrow it down to a few special things any fiber enthusiast would love to receive.

Let’s start easy, with a gift card from some cool places. Purl Soho has a wonderful selection of yarn, notions, books and so much more. Knit Picks has their own line of very affordable yarns which would make any fiber fan feel like a kid in a candy store deciding what to get. If you rather get a card from your friend’s LYS (Local Yarn Shop) and don’t want to ask them to ruin the surprise, check out a recent ATFT post here which will help you locate the yarn shop in their neighborhood.

I love ceramic artist Alyssa Ettinger’s Knitware Collection . The bowls, tumblers, vases and cups are cast in knitting stitch patterns. They are so gorgeous and unusual.
Image copyrighted by Alyssa Ettinger, 2011

Every knitter and crocheter would love to be more organized and della Q has great bags, cases and other gift suggestions here. You can feel especially good about buying something from della Q because a portion of the proceeds are donated to Vietnam Quilts, a non-profit organization that trains low-income and rural Vietnamese women in the art of quilting, and provides them with a means to a steady income.

If your gift recipient has a whimsical side, Cafe Press is a great resource. They have a huge assortment of funny and snarky themed mugs, t-shirts, bumper stickers, totes, stationery and a whole lot more. All you do is go to their home page, type in “knit” or “crochet” in the search bar and you’ll find so much to choose from. Here’s are some cute totes: